Sweet Dreams Beautiful Nightmare
by greysmerderfan
Summary: One storm causes more damage to Derek and Meredith than expected.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's (obviously). Just borrowing the characters…**

**I have no idea why I decided to write a fic like this. I have no idea why this idea's been in my head for so long but I decided to try to see if I could get it out there.**

**Just wanted to give a huge thanks to my Beta and everyone who encouraged me to write this fic.**

**The title is based off of Beyonce's song Sweet Dreams…this is the video with lyrics: /JlxByc0-V40**

**So without further ado…Enjoy**

Seattle residents were used to rain; or so people thought.

Snuggling deeper into his wife's back, Derek relaxed and continued sleeping. He and Meredith had worked a long and hectic shift at the hospital so once they had gotten home they had a nice relaxing evening, enjoyed dinner then headed off to bed.

It felt like the only place that they could come for silence was their bedroom. It was quiet, content and their roommates knew it was off limits. And though they loved their friends it seemed that whenever someone had a problem they always came to one of them, which they didn't mind but sometimes it was nice to have some peace, quiet and privacy.

Content and sleeping Derek grumbled when he heard a pager go off on Meredith's night table. He squinted and let out a groan when he saw it was three thirty in the morning and that it was his pager vibrating and beeping. He picked it up and rolled over.

"Mm, wassit?" Meredith asked him sleepily

"The hospital. Have to go into check on my patient." Derek told her as he started to change.

"Wait, I'll come with you." Meredith said in her sleep as she rolled over and snuggled deeper into Derek's pillow.

"Don't. Sleep Mer, there's no point in both of us losing sleep." Derek told her

"Are you sure?" Meredith asked him, her eyes still closed

"I'm sure. I'll see you in a few hours." He replied as he leaned over to softly and gently kiss her before heading out the door.

"Good 'uk" Meredith said to him as she fell back to sleep.

It was only four hours later when Meredith heard the alarm blazing, waking her up. She reached over to slap it a few times; unsuccessfully before actually silencing it. She got up and went over to her window only to see it was pouring rain outside. In their washroom she brushed her teeth, washed her face then walked to her closet and pulled on a pair of jeans and a grey V-neck sweater before running downstairs. She headed into the kitchen to find it empty; apparently everyone had left for work except for her. Quickly making herself a cup of coffee and scarfing down a banana, she walked into the foyer, pulled on a pair of black-heeled boots and her jacket and grabbed her bag. Opening the door to head to her car; she groaned as she realize the pouring rain was actually a torrential downpour. Sighing in annoyance she quickly locked the door and ran to her car, only to get partially soaked in the process.

Looking in the mirror she saw that her once nicely waved hair was damp and frizzy.

"Crap." She muttered to herself as she put the car in reverse and backed out of the drive way and onto the main street.

It was only once she got onto the main roads that she saw just how bad it was outside. It looked as if there weren't that many cars on the road and she couldn't really blame them. If she didn't have to work she wouldn't either but that wasn't up to her, so she drove as slow as she could while trying to see through the windshield wipers.

She continued driving coming to a busy intersection and tried to brake as she saw the lights ahead of her turn from green to yellow. She attempted to stop, but with the slipperiness of the roads she had to push down hard on the pedal and ended up stopping almost in the middle of the intersection.

"Relax Meredith." She said to herself, opening her eyes, only to hear and see a truck coming towards her. Before she knew it her car was crushed and pushed into a poll trapping her inside.

Meredith sat there unconscious, a deep gash on her forehead, blood pouring down, her arm and leg, and more injuries below the surface.


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm really happy that everyone's enjoying this fic and I know you all are curious about what's going to happen with Meredith and Derek's reaction but it's all coming soon.**

It turns out that the patient Derek was paged in for was fine. The intern monitoring had freaked out when they saw that there was change in their vitals, it was only when Derek told them that it was a good thing that he was finally able to relax. Unfortunately for Derek it meant that he was pulled out bed with his wife and a good nights sleep for nothing.

He debated going back home but when he looked at his watch and saw it was six o'clock in the morning and knew he would have to be back within the next hour he realized that it would be pointless and useless. So he decided to go over some charts.

Glancing at his watch he saw that it was a little over 8 in the morning and there was still no sign of Meredith. Pulling out his phone he decided to call her.

"Hey, Mer…it's me. Just wondering where you are. I know you know you have a shift so call me back when you get this." Derek said as he hung up the phone glancing up to see Mark walking over.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Meredith's not answering her phone." Derek said looking at his phone

"She's in today, right?" Mark asked

"Yeah…"

"So, she'll probably be in soon. Considering the way the weather is outside, I'm not surprised she's not here yet." Mark said then looked at the Tv "Turn that up…" turning to a nurse.

"Police are urging Seattle residents to stay off the roads as driving conditions worsen." The news reporter said.

"What?" Mark asks Derek as he sees his face filled with worry as he continues to check his phone. "I'm sure Meredith is fine, she's probably driving 5 miles and hour to be careful, you heard what the guy said."

"Yeah, I know what the guy said Mark. But not knowing where my wife is especially with the weather doesn't make me worry any less." Derek said, snapping.

"Look man, I get it do…" Mark said apologetically

"Sorry, I just wish she'd call or something…"

"I'm sure she's okay. Would you rather her call you while she's driving and risk…"

"Ok, ok, I get what you mean. But that doesn't mean I'm not allowed to worry." Derek said interrupting him.

"I never said you weren't." Mark said softly "But checking your phone every second won't do anything. Go get coffee or something, I'm sure Meredith will be here soon" He told him then looked as his pager went off "Listen, I got to go, but just relax and do something to pass the time." Mark told him as he left to check on his patient.

Realistically, Derek knew that Mark was right. With the weather so bad Meredith was probably taking her time to get to work so there was no point in calling her, as he didn't want her to answer as she was driving. Looking outside he saw how bad it was and he almost wished that she wasn't on her way to the hospital and that she decided to stay home, only he knew his wife so she was on her way.

He looked at his watch before deciding to go check the OR board to see if there were any surgeries he could view as his only critical patient was stable and in recovery. It was rare that he had nothing to do so watching a surgery seemed liked a good way to pass the time waiting for his wife.

**I know it's short…but I hope you all with bear with me…more is coming!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Once again I'm so glad that everyone is enjoying this story. This update should get the ball rolling a bit…**

**Enjoy!**

The rain was beating down on Meredith as she laid unconscious. Though it seemed as if it was starting to die down, it didn't help the matter. The driver of the truck sat slumped down with his forehead against the wheel himself also unconscious.

Though it seemed like an eternity it was actually only a few minutes until an ambulance and a fire truck arrived along with a police car.

A paramedic along with a fireman came up to Meredith's car and used a large pair of pliers to cut open her door and carefully to avoid further injuries placed her on a gurney.

They gently yet quickly placed her in the ambulance and then began to asses her injuries before driving to Seattle Grace Mercy West.

Meanwhile the ER was pretty busy as victims were rolling in from the weather. Some were just reckless and others were just pedestrians going along with their day.

All the residents were attending to patients who were either affected by the storm or who had just some other injuries.

"Listen up!" Owen yelled "We got a ambulance on the way all hand on deck!"

Alex, Cristina, Lexie, Jackson, and April along with Owen himself proceeded to head outside to meet the ambulance.

Just as they get outside the ambulance arrived and a paramedic came out and the opened the back doors.

"Female, 38, unresponsive on the scene, broken leg, arm…" The paramedic began to explain as they began to rush inside. It was only once they had a clearer view of who the patient was.

"Oh my god…" Owen whispered when he saw who it was.

"Meredith…" Cristina said softly.

"Yang, page Dr. Bailey and the Chief now." Owen ordered her as they continued to work on Meredith.

"What about Derek…Dr. Shepherd?" Lexie asked him

"Dammit! I didn't even think…"

"What the hell happened?" Mark asked as he walked into the room. "Meredith…" he said softly when he saw her. "How did this happen?" he asked.

"Car accident, her car was pushed into a poll." Owen began to explain.

"Has anyone paged Derek?"

"We were just about to…" Owen starts to say.

"Don't. You can not page him about this, I'll find him and tell him…I think he got pulled into surgery."

"Right." Owen said as they continued to work on an injured Meredith.

As he predicted, Derek was just preparing to go into surgery and was scrubbing in.

"Derek." Mark said to him frantically as he opened the door.

"Mark, I'm just about to scrub in, can whatever it is wait?" Derek asked him.

"No, it can't. Listen I've already asked Neilson to take over…" Mark begins to say

"Why the hell did you do that Mark? It's my patient!" Derek asks him confused

"Derek. I need to tell you something and I'm not sure how."

"Okay, well what ever it is, just tell me." Derek says

"It's Meredith."

"What about Meredith." He asks as in confusion and worry

"She's been hurt Derek…she was in a car accident…she's…"

"Where is she Mark?" Derek asks him firmly as he leaves the OR scrub room

"Derek, you need to relax a little bit before…"

"Don't tell me to relax, this is my wife we're talking about. Now where is she?" Derek asked him angrily and firmly.

"She's in the ER."

Derek doesn't give Mark a chance to talk as tears off his scrub cap and he rushes off to find his wife. He's completely terrified as he rushes through the halls and runs down the stairs, as he couldn't be bothered to take the elevator, to find Meredith.

Approaching the E.R he found a fury of activity going on in one of the trauma rooms; which he realized was Meredith's room. He pushed the door open and what he saw took his breath away, and not for the better.

"What…what the hell happened?" Derek asked as he barged into the room out of breath and his voice filled with worry. A flurry of activity was going on as Bailey and the Chief were assessing Meredith's injuries, Teddy was checking the status of her heart and lungs and the rest were trying to clean up the dried blood and pick out any debris.

"Derek, you shouldn't be in here…go wait outside and we'll come get you when…" Bailey started to say

"What's her Neurological status?" He asked as he grabs her chart

"Derek, you know you can't be in here." Bailey tells him

"How are her pupils?" He asks as he continues to ignore them. He grabs a light pen and opens her eyelids as he tries to get some reaction. As he's going do, a machine goes off.

"Dammit!" The Chief yells. "We got to intubate her." As Meredith's stats drop and her breathing starts to shallow out. But Derek doesn't let it get that far as he takes the intubation tube and does it himself. The doctors watch as he guides the tube down Meredith's throat, their shocked that he's allowing himself to do it yet saddened at the motion.

"We need to get her to the OR now." Dr. Hunt says

They gathered themselves and got ready to push Meredith to the OR.

"I'm sorry Derek but this is as far as you can go." The Chief told Derek outside of the doors

"No, I have to be in there…I have to know…" Derek tells him in a sacred and shaky voice

"I can't let you. You're her husband, her family, it's the rules."

"Ok, alright…can I just…can I have a minute with her?" He asks

"Just one…time is precious."

Derek leans into Meredith and puts his head by hers as he whispers into her ear. " Mer, I know this is scary and that you're scared...but you're going to be okay, just hold on for me okay. I love you." He says as he kisses her forehead softly as they take her through the doors. Leaving a distraught and scared Derek outside.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks everyone for the reviews, I really love hearing your thoughts on this fic.**

**That being said I'm not entirely satisfied with how this update is but I hope you guys enjoy it.**

It seemed like forever since Meredith had gone into surgery and Derek was forced to wait. Though he knew it was against the rules for family members to operate on their loved ones, it didn't make it any easier; in fact it made it harder.

He didn't know the extent of her injuries other than her lung collapsed. She could have had massive internal bleeding, her spleen could be ruptured, and the list could go on, not to mention the neurological problems.

Sitting hunched over in a chair, Derek was terrified. Not knowing what was going on was killing him.

"Here, you need this." Derek heard Mark say as he placed a cup of coffee in front of him. Thankfully Meredith hadn't acquired any injuries that needed Mark's attention so he decided to stay in the waiting area with him.

"I'm not hungry." Derek said his voice faded

"I don't really care if you're not hungry and it's coffee not food. You need it."

"Mark…"

"Derek, I get it. I do, but you need to have something in your system. Whether it's coffee or something, I don't care but you need it. So don't argue with me and drink." Mark said firmly

"Thank you." Derek said softly as he took the coffee and had a small sip.

"Don't mention it. You're my brother and Meredith's your wife and my sister in law and my family."

"How long has it been?" Derek asked him after a few minutes.

"About four hours." Mark said looking at his watch.

"Four hours, so that means she could have more severe injuries that they didn't know of or they went in and it was worse than they thought it was or that they…"

"Derek." Mark said interrupting him "Don't think like that." He said, "You know that in that room Meredith is being taken care of by the best doctors in the West coast and that those people in there love her and care about her. They're going to do everything they can."

"I know…I just. I don't get how this happened."

"It was the weather, you heard the guy in the news." Mark told him

"Then she shouldn't have been driving!" Derek cried out

"And you know her. Meredith's stubborn and would've come regardless."

"She wanted to come in with me when I got paged and I told her to stay. I told her to sleep. I should've just let her come with me. She could've just slept in an on call room and then maybe this wouldn't be happening." Derek said. He couldn't help but think that if he let Meredith come with him then she wouldn't have had to drive in the rain and then she wouldn't have had an accident. Logically he knew that Mark was right and with Meredith's stubbornness would've come to work rain or shine but his head wouldn't go there.

After a few hours of being in surgery it turns out that Cristina and Alex weren't able to be in OR working on Meredith and asked Bailey and the Chief if they could be excused. Understanding their reasons they were now waiting along side with Derek, Mark and Lexie; who was too emotional to operate on her sister.

It was Derek though who couldn't seem to sit still. Between pacing, going up to the doors to see if anyone was coming and checking his watch all the time, he felt hopeless.

Not knowing what was going on with Meredith was driving him insane. The surgeon in him knew that the longer it took the more careful they were being but at the same time he wished that someone would come out and give him an update.

"What's taking them so long?" Derek asked out loud.

"Maybe it's a good thing they're taking so long, they're probably being cautious." Lexie said

"Or maybe something went wrong…"

"Dude, you can't think like that." Alex said interrupting him.

"Then what am I supposed to think. My wife's in surgery and not one person has come out to give me an update." Derek snaps. It's just as he says that Bailey and the Chief come out through the doors.

"Miranda, Richard." Derek says to them, "What…what happened? How is she?" he asked

"Derek." Miranda said to him. "Maybe you should it down."

"No, no, I don't want to sit down. I want you to tell me how she is."

"Derek, there was a lot of bleeding, we had to remove part of her spleen and her lung had collapsed. We did everything we could to…"

"What are you…"

"But she was loosing too much blood…"

"No, no, she can't be..."

"I'm so sorry…"

"No, no." Derek kept saying over and over again as tears began to pout down his face, he felt like the world was crumbling as he fell to his knees and began to sob; This wasn't supposed to happen, they were supposed to have a life time, start a family and now his wife and love of his life gone forever.


	5. Chapter 5

"Derek." He heard someone saying his name as he continued to sob, curled into a ball on the hospital floor his life shattered without Meredith in it.

"Derek." They said again, this time he heard them in the distance.

"Derek, wake up." He heard Mark telling him

"Huh, what, what happened?" Derek asked as he was jostled awake his heart beating against his chest. "Meredith's gone…what happened?" He asked

"Derek, Meredith isn't gone…she's still in surgery, it was just a dream, you fell asleep." He heard Mark tell him he hunched over rubbing his face and running his fingers through his hair.

"It wasn't a dream, it was a nightmare." He replied his eyes bloodshot and red from crying. "Has anyone come out yet?" He asked softly

"Not yet, but they should be any minute." Mark says, just as Bailey and The Chief come out. Derek sees them a rushes to his feet and they come forward.

"How is she?" Derek asks them worriedly.

"There were a few complications during surgery but overall she's going to be alright." Bailey tells him

"Oh, thank god." Derek says as he lets out a deep breath of relief. "Can I see her?"

"Of course, she's in room 4412 in the ICU. But Derek you need to know that Meredith has been through a lot and it's going to take a while for her to recover. Don't be surprised when you see her."

Derek nods as he heads towards Meredith's room. When he arrived to the ICU his heart broke to see her hooked up to so many machines and to see a breathing tube down her throat. He opens the sliding door and walks over to her, not noticing Richard and Miranda outside watching him. He gently leans over to place a soft kiss on Meredith's forehead and sits down on the chair beside her bed and takes her hand in his, and lets out a small shudder as he begins to cry tears of happiness, even though it's a long road ahead.

Almost five hours had passed since Meredith had been out of surgery and she still hadn't woken up. Even though Derek was relieved that she was alive he couldn't help but worry about her and her condition. He knew that it was common for patients with her type of injuries and head trauma's to take a while to wake up, so he just had to be patient and hope.

"Derek." He heard someone say to him waking him up. Falling asleep in a chair next to Meredith's bedside, he was still holding her hand.

"Hmm, what?" he said, only to see Miranda standing beside him. "Is she awake?" He asked instantly awaking and checking on Meredith, who was still sleeping.

"No, she's not. There's still no change." She told him as she starts to check Meredith's vitals. "Derek." She tells him seeing his face and appearance. "Go get yourself something to eat and change."

"No, I'm not leaving her."

"You're not leaving her, you're taking care of yourself. You won't be any good to her when she wakes up if you're sick too."

"Miranda…"

"Does it look like I'm going to negotiate with you?" She says to him sternly "No, now I understand you're worried about her, I am too, we all are; leaving for a few minutes won't hurt you."

"What if…"

"I'll stay with her and I'll page you if anything changes." She says finishing his sentence. "Don't worry, she won't be alone, I'm here and I'm not going anywhere till you get back."

"Thank you Miranda." Derek tells her and he leans to give Meredith a soft kiss on her forehead. "I'll be right back." He tells her.

As Derek leaves the ICU, Miranda sits down on the edge of Meredith's bed and watches her.

"I don't know what's going on in the head of your Grey but you'd have better be thinking about waking up soon. That husband of yours is a nervous wreck…we all are. You have a lot of people who love and care about you; my self included." Bailey tells her, just as Derek walks back in. He had changed into a pair of jeans, a dark blue t-shirt with a zip sweater over. His hair still disheveled.

"How is she, any change?" He asks resuming his previous spot.

"No, no change." She tells him. "That was quick. Good you changed. Did you eat?"

"Yeah, a muffin and some coffee quick. I think I burnt my mouth in the process." He says jokingly. "I just wish she would wake up." He said softly

"She's been through a lot. Between the accident and the surgery, her body needs time to adjust and heal. It's going to take some time."

"I know." He says quietly.

"I'll leave you two alone." Miranda says as she finishes checking Meredith's vitals

"Thank you Miranda." Derek says to her as she leaves

Thought she doesn't say anything back, Derek knows that she wants Meredith to wake up and get better just as much as he does, they all do and that checking up on her means no thank yous are necessary.

**A/N: First of all…did you guys really think I would kill off Meredith, she Mer…I would never do such a thing. Second I apologize for not replying to any reviews from the previous update but I didn't want to say anything to indicate what was going to happen…where's the fun in that, hehehe. But I thank you all for the amazing reviews once again I'm really happy that everyone is enjoying this fic. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks everyone for the reviews, it really makes me happy to know that you guys are enjoying this fic.**

**Enjoy!**

Twelve hours after Meredith had come out of surgery she still hadn't woken up. While it concerned Derek and made him want to run some test, Teddy, Miranda and Owen reassured him that is was normal and with what had happened to Meredith her and her body needed to time heal properly. The doctor in him knew that they were all right but the husband in him was worried.

Aside from Miranda kicking him out for food and to change he hadn't really moved from Meredith's bedside. He didn't really sleep much at night; waking up every hour to check on her vitals, to see is there was any change; and to see if she was waking up.

"Do you think we should send her for a CT or an MRI?" Derek asked Hunt and Bailey as they came in to check on Meredith's vitals.

"I would like to give her some more time. The surgery was very difficult on her and her body sustained a lot of internal injuries. I don't want to rush her recovery. As long has her vitals are strong…" Dr. Hunt said

"I agree with Dr. Hunt, I don't want to scare you Derek but she did code once during surgery. Her body went through a lot, and you know it takes time for the body to recover; especially with injuries that Meredith had." Teddy said to Derek interrupting Owen.

"You know I trust you all but I'm worried. Even if it does take time for the body to recover, but you know that being unconscious for this long isn't normal."

"Derek…" Miranda says to him "I understand you're scared and worried but you have to be patient."

"I am being patient, but you have to understand that this is my wife were talking about. I'm…scared and can't do anything to help her, so excuse me I'm being impatient." Derek snaps at them. He knows that they're right but now being able to do anything but wait was driving him crazy.

"We'll leave you alone for a bit, come back later to check on her and then decide on further actions." Teddy says as they leave the room.

Derek looks at Meredith who looks like she's just peacefully sleeping, though the tube down in her mouth shows a different story. He can't imagine what went through her mind when she was in that car or how scared she must have been, he wishes that he could've done something, that he would've let her come with him when he was paged.

"Stop that." Derek hears Miranda say behind him.

"Stop what?"

"Stop blaming yourself. You didn't do anything wrong."

"How do you know…"

"I know you well enough Shepherd to know that you blame yourself for a lot of things when it comes to this girl."

"I was paged and she wanted to come in with me but I told her to sleep." Derek says quietly. "Maybe if I would've let her come with me, this wouldn't have happened."

"Derek." Miranda says to him, watching the loving way he looks at Meredith as he strokes her hand "You can not blame yourself for this. It was an accident."

"That's what Mark said."

"Never thought I would say this but he's right. It was just an accident. The weather was horrible and maybe she shouldn't have been driving, but that doesn't mean you should be blaming yourself over something that wasn't in your control. Meredith wouldn't blame you you know that. It was just an accident."

Derek knew that Miranda was right and that blaming himself wasn't the answer.


	7. Chapter 7

**Once again I thank everyone for reviewing, it really means a lot to me to know that so many people are enjoying this fic. **

**Just wanted to let you guys know that I don't have anymore banked updates after this and I'm currently working (and struggling a little) on the next update(s). I know some updates are on the shortish side but I hope you'll bear with me as I work through his fic.**

**Enjoy!**

When a patient didn't wake up after a major surgery right away they normally would say that their body had gone through a lot and needed time to recover. It was normal or semi normal for a patient to take a while to wake up after surgery, depending on injuries sustained, they could be unconscious for hours.

But the fact that is had almost been twenty-four hours since Meredith had come out of surgery and she still hadn't woken up made Derek incredibly worried and scared him. He'd been watching her vital for the past few hours to see if there had been any major changes but there'd been nothing; her vitals her strong, so he didn't get it.

He had paged Teddy and told her to take Meredith for a CT and an MRI, despite her saying it wasn't necessary he'd demanded it.

"See Derek." Teddy said to him "There's nothing there." Referring to Meredith's scans

"There's something wrong. It doesn't take a patient twenty-four hours to wake up after a surgery, no matter what kind of injuries they have." Derek said firmly

"I understand your concerns…"

"Do you. Do you really, because I honestly don't think you do Dr. Altman." Derek said to her angrily "This isn't just some regular patient who was brought into the OR. This is my wife, a doctor in this hospital we're talking about, who you have worked with. She may be just another patient for you but that isn't the case for me nor is it the case for some of the doctors in this hospital."

"I'm sorry Derek." Teddy says to him softly "I don't mean to belittle Meredith or her condition and you're right she is a very important doctor in this hospital and she's a very important patient to me. I want her to wake up just as much as you do, but you saw her scans and they're clear. There's not much more I can say or do to reassure you that it's just taking time for her body to heal." She tells him

Derek doesn't say anything to her as he leaves the viewing room and joins Bailey as she prepares to bring Meredith back to her room.

"It doesn't make any sense." Derek says as they carefully put Meredith back into her bed.

"What doesn't?" Bailey asks him

"Her scans are clear but she's not waking up. I don't understand why."

"I know you don't want to hear it, but just be patient. Let her body heal and recover, it's a lot of stress on ones body to go through what she went through." Bailey says to him calmly

"I know, I just…the longer it takes her to wake up the more I worry about her Neurological status. And I know what you're going to say." He says sensing her interruption "Her scans were clear so she's not in any danger, but that doesn't change anything."

Bailey goes to open her mouth to say something but decides against it. Knowing that nothing she says can reassure Derek about Meredith and she understands that. She just wishes she could get some answers for him for both of them.


	8. Chapter 8

**I apologize for the wait between updates but I'm trying to get this story moving without moving too fast…that being said this update is short but (like I said) it's going to start moving a bit more so I hope you will all be patient with me and bear the shorter updates…**

**Enjoy!**

Two days. It had been two days since the accident and Meredith hadn't woken up yet and Derek was terrified. He had barely slept and didn't leave the room for any reasons. He kept having dreams of Meredith coding and each nightmare had him waking up on a cold sweat. So instead he watched Meredith, her breathing, her vitals he did what ever he could to reassure himself that she would wake up.

"What's going on in that head of your Mer. Why aren't you waking up?" Derek said to himself while looking at Meredith, gently stroking her head.

"Good morning." Miranda says as she walked into Meredith's room "How are we doing this morning?"

"Still no change." Derek says flatly not taking his eyes off Meredith. "She's in a coma isn't she?"

"There is no neurological reason showing that she is. Her scans are clear."

"So then what. If she's not in a coma then why isn't she waking up?"

"I wish I could give you some answers Derek, I really do."

"Yeah, me too." He tells her flatly

"I'll leave you alone." Miranda tells him as she leaves the room to give them some privacy. She wishes she could give him a decent answer about Meredith but medically there was no reason why she wasn't waking up. She could only hope that for Meredith's sake and Derek she did wake up soon.

From hearing about Meredith to her going into surgery he'd forgotten about what day it was, all he knew was he was waiting, waiting for Meredith to wake up. He felt completely useless; he couldn't help Meredith at all and the thought of her not waking up made him sick.

Everyone told him to be patient and that she would wake up soon but the longer he waited the more scared he got that she wouldn't wake up. A patient with without brain damage typically woke up faster than someone who did have it, so he couldn't figure out why Meredith wasn't waking up.

"How you doing?" Mark said to Derek as he walked into Meredith's room and sat down on the chair on the opposite side of the bed.

"How does it look like I'm doing Mark…" He said to him "I'm terrified waiting for Meredith to wake up and there's no logical medical reason to why she isn't."

"I heard Teddy saying that her scans were all clear."

"They are." He says looking at Meredith "There's no reason why she shouldn't be waking up."

"Her body needs time to heal Derek, you know that."

"I wish everyone would stop saying that." Derek admits

"Stop saying what?" Marks asks

"That her body needs time to heal, to recover. It's been two days and nothing. No signs of her waking up or change in her vitals. I want to scream I'm so terrified that she…"

"That she might not wake up." Mark says finishing Derek's sentence

Derek doesn't say anything as a tear runs down his cheek. He can't even begin to think of the possibility of Meredith not waking up he can't fathom that. He doesn't want to think that's even a possibility.


	9. Chapter 9

**Once again I thank everyone for their reviews. It really means a lot that you're all enjoying this fic. So without further ado…**

**Enjoy!**

Sleeping beauty. That's what Derek thought she looked like, that is if you didn't look at the tube down her throat helping her breathe and all the wires that surrounded her. She looked like sleeping beauty and Derek wished that he could just kiss her and she would wake up. If he could do that then everything would be alright, he would just kiss her and wake her up from this nightmare.

Except it wasn't the case, he knew that this wasn't a fairytale and even if he did kiss her it wouldn't wake her up.

Everyone kept telling him to be patient and that she would but the longer he waited the more terrified he got. He hadn't showered in 4 days, hadn't bothered to shave, his hair was greasy from running his fingers through it so much and his clothes were wrinkled. If anyone saw him at that moment he didn't look close to McDreamy; instead he looked liked a terrified husband waiting for his wife to wake up.

He hadn't slept since Meredith gotten out of surgery. Every time he closed his eyes she had nightmares of Meredith flat lining crashing and it terrified him, so as a result his eyes were red from crying and no sleep.

Meredith had to wake up soon she just had to.

Sitting in the chair by Meredith's bed, Derek held her hand and watched her. He always thought she looked beautiful, gorgeous. She never wore a ton of makeup and her hair was never styled to perfection but it was her, Meredith. He loved her for who she was, and she was his Meredith. She didn't need designer clothing or to look perfect everyday because she did no matter what. She didn't have her nails done because she didn't really care and he loved that. She could be covered in mud and he wearing a burlap sack and he could still think she was beautiful. The way her eyes sparkled when she giggled; and that giggle, he loved it. It was music to his ears. The way she rambled when she was nervous or when she got mad, her tiny ineffectual fists. He loved her; he was in love with her, madly, deeply, passionately in love with her.

"Mer, I know you can hear me. So please, I'm begging you to wake up. I need you to. I need you. I love you. Please." Derek said softly to her.

He didn't know what had happened but the next thing he knew her hand flinched. It moved. Then he heard her gagging through the trach pipe. He couldn't register what he was doing but he pressed the call button for a nurse.

"Page Dr. Bailey now." He told her firmly

"Right away Dr. Shepherd".

"Mer, just hang on for a second okay. I called for Bailey she's on her way." He said to her as he saw her eye flicker open for a second.

"What happened?" Bailey asked as she came in and looked at Meredith's vitals and noticed her status

"She's awake."

"Meredith, can you hear me." Bailey said to her "Can you move your hand for me?" She asked her as Meredith started to move her hand to hold Bailey's open hand slowly. "I'm going to take the tube out, so on the count of three I want you to cough for me. Alright Meredith." Bailey told her as she went to remove the tube "One, two, three…" Bailey said as she pulled the tube out and Meredith coughed.

Slowly opening her eyes Meredith took in her surroundings.

"Can you tell me your name?" Bailey asked her

"Mer…" Meredith replied as she tried to speak but her throat was so dry and hurt.

"Can you give her some water for her throat?" Derek asked

"Meredith, I'm going to give some water okay, I want you to take slow sips." Bailey instructs her as Meredith slowly sips water through the straw. "Better?"

"Yes." Meredith says raspy as she nods her head slowly

"Do you know where you are Meredith?" Bailey asked her

"Hospital." Meredith replied

"Do you know why you're here?"

"Driving…accident." Meredith said her eyes slowly opening.

"That's right. You were driving when you got into an accident." Bailey told her

"Derek." Meredith said to her

"I'm right here Meredith. I'm not going anywhere." Derek reassured her as he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.

"That's right, this man has stayed by your bedside the entire time." Bailey said with a soft smile "How are you feeling?"

"Sore n' tired."

"It's to be expected. You're body went through a lot…you went through a lot. You gave us a scare."

"M'sorry." Meredith murmured.

"Tsk, you have nothing to be sorry for. It wasn't your fault."

"Still…"

"Mer, don't even think about blaming yourself for what happened. Okay? None of it was your fault. Do you understand?" Derek told her firmly. He wasn't about to let Meredith blame herself for anything.

"M'kay." Meredith mumbled. "Sleep?" She asked as she closed her eyes. Her body was still in a bit of pain.

"Before you do that Grey, I want you to tell me something." Bailey said to her

"What?" Meredith asked sleepily, her eyes still closed

"Are you in any pain, if so I need you to tell me so I can issue you some morphine." Bailey told her.

"Little."

"Alright then, I'm going to issue you some morphine okay. You know what to do if you need more." Bailey said pressing the button.

"Thanks…" Meredith said as she fell asleep.

"Thank god she's awake." Derek said as he fell into the chair by Meredith's bed. "I was…beyond terrified that she might…"

"Might not wake up." Bailey said as she finished his sentence while checking Meredith's vitals; all which seemed strong and healthy. She knew that Meredith would wake up the girl just needed time.

"Yeah, the thought of that happening made me sick. I can't imagine life without her in it." Derek told Bailey.

"Well, you're never going to have to find out." Bailey told him reassuringly. She knew of the love that they had for each other and despite their rocky start and all the troubles and problems they had to endure during the beginning and course of their relationship; she knew that Derek and Meredith belonged together. "I'll leave you two alone" She said "Oh and Derek?" Calling his name before she left

"Yes?"

"Now that Meredith's awake do yourself a favour and get some rest. You look like crap." Bailey said factually leaving the room

Derek didn't say anything instead he let out a small smile and chuckle knowing that Bailey was right; he did look like crap, but it was alright because Meredith was awake and that was all that mattered.


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry for the delay! I will admit to being lazy while writing this chapter but I was also stuck on getting it just right. With Grey's being a total crap fest lately it's hard to get motivated but don't worry I won't forget this story.**

**Enjoy!**

When Meredith awoke for the second time the first thing she felt was pain. Incredible pain. It wasn't the same kind of pain she had when she drowned but more of her insides were ripped apart and she'd been cut open and put back together kind of pain.

Her stomach felt like it was on fire and any type of movement hurt. Her leg felt heavy and her head hurt. She felt like an idiot. She knew she shouldn't have been driving but did she listen to herself, no. Instead she drove and this was the result. And as much as she tried not to blame her self for what happened every time she moved it told a different story.

As she attempted to shift to get more comfortable, she moaned and let out a small cry of pain.

"What are you doing?" She heard Derek say softly

"It hurts." She told him

"What hurts?"

"Everything." She whimpered as a small tear ran down her cheek.

"Shh, its ok Mer. You're ok. I got you." Derek told her as he reached across the bed to press the morphine drip.

"Thank you."

"How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been hit by a bus which considering is ironic." She said with a small chuckle, which resulted in more pain.

"Meredith." Derek told her as he wiped a stray tear away.

"I'm an idiot."

"No you're not. Don't even say that." Derek told her. He knew that she would do something like this and there was no way he was going to let her blame herself for any of it.

"I knew how bad the weather was when I left the house and I knew that driving would be dangerous and look" She said referring to her body "I was freakin' right!"

"Okay, you listen to me." Derek told her firmly as he sat at the edge of the bed looking at her. "Meredith."

"I'm listening." She said her eyes still closed. 

"Ok, well open your eyes." Derek told her as she did so. "You are not responsible for this. You are not to blame. The weather was bad outside but you couldn't have known how bad it was and you most certainly couldn't have known that this would've happened. No one could've known. So don't you dare blame yourself for this happening; okay?" He said to her.

"Okay." Meredith said with a small nod. Logically she knew he was right but Meredith couldn't help but feel the pain, literally.

"I love you." Derek said as he kissed her softly, just being able to feel the softness of her lips was perfect to him.

"I love you too." Meredith replied. "And I am sorry"

"You have nothing to be sorry for. I'm just so…I'm just so happy you're awake and you're okay." Derek told her.

"How long was I out for?"

"Three days." He told her honestly "And it was the scariest three days of my life but I'm just so happy that you're okay."

"Me too."

"How're you feeling?" He asked her

"Everything hurts. My stomach, leg, I feel like a rag doll that's been thrown around." She tells him.

"Do you want some morphine?"

"Yes."

"Okay." Derek says to her as he presses the button. "Meredith if you're in pain it'll make you fell better, or at least dull the pain." He tells her.

"How long do you until I can start Physical Therapy?" She asks him

"It probably won't be for a few days." He tells her. "You need to heal a bit more and make sure all your incisions are good before. You don't want to start it then have them tear."

"Yeah…"

"Meredith." Derek says to her as he strokes her cheek softly "What is it?"

"I just want to get better already." She admits softly

"Mer, you just woke up. It's going to take some time but you will."

"I know." She said as her eyes start to close

"You tired?" He asked her

"Yeah." Meredith said as she starts to fall asleep.

Derek doesn't say thing just watches her. He knows she's a fighter but he hopes that she won't be too hard on herself and lets her body heal before she can fully start to recover.


	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry for the delays! I'm trying to get this fic moving without ignoring Meredith's recovery progress (unlike Callie *eye roll*) but I don't want move too fast…(if that makes any sense). Anyways…**

**Enjoy!**

Meredith knew how hard recovery was, she's seen patients struggle with it and knew how painful it could be for them. But she didn't really know just how hard it could be. From the moment she woke up she felt as if her body was on fire and every mussel she had was been stretched and pulled and then put back together with staples. Recovery was hard and it sucked.

She knew that it wouldn't be easy and that it would take time before she was back to normal, her body went through a lot and she had suffered a lot of internal injuries.

Her whole body hurt, that she couldn't deny. She couldn't move an inch without feeling like hell and though she'd pressed the morphine button it didn't help the emotional pain.

Derek told her not to blame herself for what had happened and as much as she tried not too, she couldn't help but be angry with herself. She shouldn't have been driving she knew that but Derek and Bailey were right, she couldn't have known that this would had happened. So she had to focus on her recovery and not fault herself.

Recovery would take some time she knew this. Not only from patients but judging from how she was feeling but she was determined.

"Good morning." Bailey said as she walked into Meredith room.

"Morning."

"He's still asleep?" Bailey asked her referring to Derek who was passed out on cot, which had been delivered in the corner.

"Yeah…" Meredith replied a little absently

"You okay Grey?"

"I'm…"

"Don't you dare say fine." Bailey said interrupting her.

"I wasn't." Meredith said defensively

"Okay, then what were you going to say?" Bailey asked her

"That I'm…"

"That you're what?"

"I don't know." Meredith admitted softly

"You don't know…" Bailey asked confused "Are you in pain or..."

"Yes…I mean I am in pain but I'm on morphine so I'm not in pain but I am in pain.

I just feel like an idiot. I big huge fat idiot." Meredith confessed.

"Why on earth do you feel like that?"

"Why…I shouldn't have been driving that why and now this." She says referring to herself "Is the result. I'm stupid."

"Grey." Bailey says firmly

"Yes."

"Don't you dare blame yourself, do you understand me. You are not to blame for anything. The weather was bad but you couldn't have known how bad it would be. There are bigger idiots out there who even though they know how bad the weather is they still decide to drive without the consideration of others or what could happen." Bailey tells her "If you knew how bad the weather was, would you have drove?" She asks her

"Of course not. If I can't see where I'm going I'd rather not risk it." Meredith tells her

"Okay then end of discussion." Bailey said

"But…"

"Don't but me. There's no but. I said end of discussion. That's all there is to it. Got it Grey." Baily told her leaving no room for arguments.

"Yeah."

"Everything okay?" Derek asks as he wakes up. His hair all over the place and his clothes rumpled.

"Everything's just fine." Bailey tells him

"Are you okay? How are you feeling?" Derek asks Meredith

"Uh, I'm okay…" She replies

"Are you in any pain?"

"I've got my good friend morphine here." She says, "So no, I'm good."

Meredith knew that Bailey was right and she made a promise to herself and to Bailey and Derek that she wouldn't blame herself and would just focus on her recovery.


	12. Chapter 12

**Sorry for the delay and lack of responding to reviews. was being really weird and wouldn't let me respond to anything, which sucked. As for this update I'm not completely satisfied with it but I hope you guys like it.**

**Enjoy!**

When Bailey and Teddy had come in and told Meredith that she was ready to be moved into a normal room, Meredith couldn't have been happier as it meant her body was starting to heal; albeit slowly. But Meredith didn't care she was just relieved that she was being moved into a normal room.

"There are rules Grey." Bailey told her as they prepared her for the switch.

"Rules?" Meredith asked confused

"Yes, rules." Teddy replied

"First off you are recovering and as much as I know you want to heal fast you have to remember that you're body went through a lot…"

"I know this Dr. Bailey." Meredith said interrupting her.

"Was I finished, no…" Bailey said, "Your body went through a lot and though you might think you're strong you aren't. You are to stay in bed until you start physical therapy."

"What if I have to use the washroom?" Meredith asked

"Then you ask either Derek or a nurse for assistance, though you'll probably just have Derek help you." Looking at him as he nodded in agreement.

"Am I allowed to walk around?"

"No."

"Am I allowed to leave to room?"

"No."

"What if I use a wheelchair?"

"Meredith I know you want to be able to have freedom but for the time being it's really best that you just relax and let your body heal properly. Once we've reevaluated and you've begun your PT then we'll see." Teddy told her as they wheeled her into the elevator Derek at her side.

"So I'm basically stuck in my room on bed rest." Meredith said

"Until further notice, yes."

"Okay I understand that I really do but why can't Derek wheel me outside for a few minutes a day. I don't have to do anything I'll sit the entire time." Meredith said to them. She wanted a bit of freedom.

"Absolutely not and if I hear or see that you've tried to do so there will be consequences."

"What kind of consequences?" Meredith asked nervously and curiously

"You don't need to worry about them since you won't be trying anything stupid." Bailey told her as they proceeded to move Meredith into a normal bed.

"Meredith Dr. Bailey is right. You don't want to do anything to jeopardize your recovery; any little mishap could delay your PT." Derek told her in concern

"I'm not stupid, I would never do anything to delay my recovery but being locked up in a hospital room…it sucks." Meredith told them

"It may suck but won't be saying that when you're in pain and wishing you hadn't disobeyed" Dr. Bailey tells her

Meredith doesn't say anything as she's settled in, deep down she knows that they're right and she doesn't want to do anything to delay her recovery but being couped up in a hospital room would drive her crazy.

"Just think of it this way." Derek tells her "You rest and recuperate, let your body do the proper healing it needs and start your PT and you'll be able to go out side. The more you rest, the faster your body gets better and the better you'll feel." He explains to her, because he knows that Meredith wants to get better and won't risk her recovery.

"Listen to your husband Grey, he's right." Bailey says "You heal and recover properly, start your PT and then we'll talk about field trips."

"Okay, fine." Meredith said agreeing, "I won't go outside…"

"Or out of this room or leave your bed until you are allowed to." Bailey tells her

"Or out of this room or leave my bed until I'm allowed to." Meredith repeats "But washroom stuff I'm allowed to do right?"

"With Derek's assistance yes." Teddy tells her "Although it's going to be a few days before you can shower. I want your incisions to heal more before they get wet."

"Wait." Meredith says "I'm not allowed to shower for a few days."

"I'm just taking precautions, I'll have a nurse bring in some items for a sponge bath."

"A sponge bath?" Meredith asks grimly

"Oh, come on Mer, it could be fun." Derek tells her in a fun and flirty tone

"And with that we're going to leave you two along." Teddy says

"Don't make me loose your trust Grey." Bailey says to her as she leaves the room

"So…?" Derek says to her sitting on the edge of her bed.

"I don't know what sucks more. Being locked up in a hospital room or not being able to shower." Meredith said

"Mer, I know this is hard for you but it's really for the best." Derek told her

"I know…I know."

"Just think of all the fun we'll have with the sponge bath." Derek said to her smiling as he leaned in to kiss her as she giggled; maybe there was just a tiny exception.


	13. Chapter 13

**Sorry for the delay in updates! Between the Grey's finale (which I haven't seen yet) and my lack of idea's for this update; writing wasn't coming to me…but I'm back. I really appreciate all the reviews, wouldn't let me properly respond so if I didn't send you a reply back please know how much I really appreciate you reading, enjoying and reviewing. Without further ado…**

**Enjoy!**

For the past 2 days Meredith watch more television then she'd ever watched on her days off, even with the hospitals crappy stations. Talks shows, crappy soaps, cooking shows; which she knew she'd never use, and infomercials. Meredith was bored.

The worst part wasn't that she was bored it was that she couldn't do anything about it. She was stuck in bed and wasn't allowed to move.

She tried napping, she looked through all the magazines that Derek had brought her and even attempted to read a book before she gave up and wanted to throw it against the wall.

Worst of all though, she felt gross. Her hair was greasy, her skin felt icky, and she was pretty sure she smelt. She wanted to shower, desperately. She was tempted to ask Derek to give her a sponge bath but as non-sexy as it sounded she just wanted to stand underneath the hot water.

The fact that she wasn't allowed solid food was starting to piss her off. It wouldn't be the first time her stomach felt off but she still had real food. Bailey had her on graham crackers and water for the time being and to be honest she felt like paging someone to bring her something.

She was hungry. No scratch that, she was starving. And although Dr. Altman and Bailey hadn't yet cleared her for solid food on that account that didn't mean she didn't want real food. She was craving a burger, fries and chocolate shake. She wondered if she could get it in her IV.

She paged Alex to keep her company but he was busy with patients, Lexie was helping out in the clinic and she wasn't about to page April or Jackson.

Derek said he'd be right back after he called his mother and explained what happened although if she remembered Carolyn Shepherd well enough from the first time she met her, she knew it wouldn't be a quick and simple conversation.

Even though she'd only met Carolyn once she remembered that she loved her children, grandchildren and children in law; and that if something happened to one of them she became overprotective and a worrier, which if Meredith had to be honest didn't mind. It was nice to have someone who loved and cared about her not because it was her job but because she really loved and wanted her.

Growing up Ellis wasn't exactly the most nurturing mother around and although Meredith believed that she did love her she knew that surgery was Ellis' top priority; therefore Meredith's childhood wasn't normal and wasn't one that she knew was perfect.

But that was okay, Meredith grew up got through school and made it into med school and became successful doctor without; or with depending on if you count the last name Grey, and did just fine. She met Derek and though their relationship wasn't easy at first, they made it through and got married and were in love with each other. She had friends who were her family and she loved her life.

But laying in her bed she was bored and wanted; no, needed some sort of entertainment or someone to come keep her company because if she wasn't allowed to leave her room then someone had to come to her.

Pressing the buzzer to her left she waited patiently.

"What's going on?" Cristina said as she rushed into the room "Are you okay?" She asked as she started to check Meredith's vitals

"Oh I'm fine, great actually. Never felt better."

"Then why did you page me?" Cristina asked her

"I'm bored. Keep me company." Meredith said to her simply

"Uh, Mer. You do realize that I'm busy right." Cristina told her

"Well you're here now. Sit. What's up?" Meredith said to her

"I'm busy with patients that's 'what's up', why don't you call your husband to keep you company."

"He's busy calling his mom."

"Oh, about…" Cris started to say referring to Meredith's current state

"Yeah, and I doubt it'll be an easy and fast conversation. So…here I am. Bored and starving."

"You haven't been cleared for solids yet?" Cris asked her as she picked up her chart and looked it over.

"No and it's annoying. You know how much I'm craving a burger and not allowed to have it. Just because my stomach feels weird doesn't mean I shouldn't be allowed food." Meredith said frustrated

"Actually it does. If your stomach feels weird you shouldn't be having solid food…unless you know, you want to actually be sick afterwards." Cristina told her flatly

"Cristina help me out here." Meredith said

"I am. I'm helping you by not making you even more sick."

"But I'm starving Cristina. I'm pretty sure my stomach's going to eat itself soon." Meredith said, she didn't care if she was being overly dramatic; she wanted food damnit.

"Well, I want in on a quadruple bypass surgery; we all want things we can't have." Cristina said to her, just as her pager went off "Oh look at that my patient's ready for surgery. Have fun." She told Meredith as she left the room.

Meredith sighed in frustration. From not only being hungry but also from Cristina not helping in relieving her boredom. Why don't hospitals have cable Tv?


	14. Chapter 14

**Sorry for the delays! I'm was trying to get this update right and I'm not sure if I succeeded or not but I hope you like it. As I said before ff is acting weird when replying to reviews so if you didn't receive one I apologize, just know that I appreciate all reviews and I'm really happy you're all liking this fic.**

**Enjoy!**

When Dr. Altman and Dr. Bailey had come to Meredith's room later the following morning and check out her incisions she was excitedly happy to know that she was allowed to get up out of bed and shower; with help and assistant though.

She was fine with that, just being allowed to get out of bed and shower was good enough and fine with her. She had asked Derek to bring her some of her things from home including a pair of lounge pants and her favourite grey Dartmouth shirt along with her shampoo, conditioner and toiletries. She knew that her recovery had just started so she wouldn't be allowed to go home just yet and that was okay with her, she was just happy to be able to move around again but she wanted some of her own things with her.

"Are you sure she's okay to be going under the water?" Derek asked Dr. Bailey as he helped Meredith up into a standing position.

"Of course it's okay…right?" Meredith said

"As long as you're helping her and making sure she sits it's fine." Dr. Bailey replied to Derek. They had brought a water chair in for Meredith so she could sit while she showered, as her legs weren't quite steady enough.

"Just make sure she doesn't stay in too long. It's okay if her bandages get wet and peel off but she's still got along way to go and she'll get tired faster." Dr. Altman told them.

"Uh, I'm totally fine." Meredith insisted.

"You may think you're 'totally fine' Meredith but recovery is a long and hard process and believe it or not a simple task like showering can and will tire you out. So just be patient and don't over exhaust yourself." Dr. Altman warned her.

"Don't worry, she's not going to try anything funny." Derek reassured them, he wasn't going to let Meredith rush herself.

"I'm not a child, I don't need baby sitting."

"I'm not saying you do but Dr. Bailey and Altman are right. Just because you're on your way to recovery doesn't mean you can act like everything's normal." Derek said to Meredith, "You were seriously injured and you need to take care of yourself." He said softly and gently to her.

Meredith didn't say thing as she looked at him then looked at Dr. Bailey and Dr. Altman faces knowing that they agreed and felt the same way as Derek.

"I'm not going to do anything to hurt my recovery process. I want to get better but I know that it'll take time and that I can't rush anything." Meredith says to him, "You don't have to worry."

"I know you know." Derek says to her, "But I also know how stubborn you are. You may not try to rush your recovery process but that doesn't mean you won't push your limits." He tells her.

"I promise you won't have to worry." She tells him. "I'm going to do this right. No pushing limits, no rushing. Just slow and steady." Meredith tells him honestly. Normally Meredith might have tried to push her limits but she doesn't want to risk it, she wants to get better and that means no rushing.

"I'm glad you know that Grey." Bailey tells her

"I do." She says, "Now, can I go shower. I'm pretty sure I'm starting to smell."

"Yes, go." Bailey says, "And Derek…" She starts to say as she and Altman start to leave her room

"Watch her and make sure she doesn't over do it or stay in too long and clean and change her bandages when she's done." He finishes for her as she leaves the room.

"And then there were two." Meredith says

"Come on, lets get you naked." Derek says as he helps her into the bathroom

"Is that how to talk to your patients Dr. Shepherd?" Meredith asks him

"Only one and she's very special."

"Oh is she." Meredith asks him as he unties her hospital gown.

"Yes she just so happens to be the love of my life." Derek tells her softly as he helps her sit on the water chair in the shower.

"Well I think she feels the same way." She replies as he takes off his shirt and pants. "Are you planning on joining me naked?" Asking him.

"Well how else am I going to help you get clean." He tells her pulling off his boxers

"That sounded vaguely porny." Meredith tells him as he turns on the water and adjusts the temperature of the water so it's not too cold but not too hot.

"How does that feel?" He asks her

"Mmmm." Meredith moans, "It feels amazing. I never thought I'd miss the feeling of hot water on me." She says as she sits under it for a few seconds.

"Do you want to do it yourself?" Derek asks her as he gives her a washcloth with some body wash on it.

"Yeah." Meredith replies and she begins to cleanse her body. "Shampoo please?" Meredith asks him as he hand her a bottle "You brought me my shampoo?" She asks him

"Yeah, I miss it." He confesses to her with a smile as he leans down and gently kisses her under the water.

She massages the shampoo into her hair before she starts to slow down.

"Are you okay?" Derek asks her in concern

"Yeah, it's just..." 

"You're tired." He says for her

"I didn't think I would be." She confesses to him

"Here let me." He replies taking over, not saying anything about the matter. He knows how hard it must be for Meredith to not be able to even just wash her hair by herself. After a few minutes he rinses her hair in shuts off the water. He grabs the towel by the sink and hands it to Meredith to wrap it around her body. He gently picks her up from the chair and carries her over to the sit down on the small bench in the bathroom before wrapping a town around his waist.

Meredith goes to pick up her underwear and tries to bend down to put it on but winces half way.

"Here" Derek tells her as he does it for her. "Bra or no bra?" He asks

"Uh, no bra. It's just easier." She tells him as he grabs her Dartmouth shirt and gently puts it over her head then grabs a pair of navy blue lounge pants and pulls them up.

Once finished he quickly dresses himself in a hair of jeans and black t-shirt.

"Okay lets change your bandages." He says as he lifts up Meredith's shirt and goes to gently peel them off, when in fact they come off instantly and see that her incisions are in fact healing nicely, he puts a bit of ointment and replaces them and lowers her shirt.

"You okay?" He asks her

"Tired." She replies honestly

"Here" He says to her as he picks her up into his arms and carries her to her bed and lays her down gently, noticing that she'd fallen asleep in his arms.

He pulls up the blanket and kisses her forehead before sitting down in the chair by her bed and read a book, not wanting her wake her up. He knows how hard she's trying to get better without over doing it but at the same time just the simplest things wear her out but he knows how strong Meredith is and that she'll be okay.


	15. Chapter 15

**Thanks for all the reviews! It makes me happy to know that you all are enjoying this fic. This update may be a little short but I hop you guys don't mind.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>After Meredith woke up, Derek called Dr. Bailey in to take a look at Meredith's incisions. They were healing nicely and properly so after a careful decision, Dr. Bailey gave Meredith the permission to have Derek take her outside for a few minutes, which even a few minutes made Meredith smile.<p>

"You're serious?" Meredith asked her as she brought in a wheelchair.

"Yes, Meredith. I am" Dr. Bailey told her, "But there are a few rules."

"Again with the rules." Meredith whined, "I'm not five."

"You sure are acting like one." Bailey shot back.

"What are the rules?" Derek asked her as Meredith made a face.

"She is not allowed to walk, or to stay out longer than she can. If she feels tired it's back inside and there will be no wandering around. You are to stay in front of the hospital."

"That's it…" Meredith said ash Derek helped her into the wheelchair, "Doesn't seem so bad."

"I'm glad you think so." Bailey said, "But I want you to remember Meredith, it's only for a few minutes. Not hours. So don't get any funny ideas."

"I won't, I promise."

"She won't, I'll make sure of it." Derek reassured Bailey. He wasn't going to let Meredith overdo anything.

"Good." She said as she turned to leave the room, "So have fun."

"Ready?" Derek asked her

"Lead the way."

Derek guides Meredith's wheelchair outside where he finds a bench. He positions Meredith and sits down next to her.

"It's a really beautiful day out." He tells her

"Yeah, I almost forgot what the outside looked like." She says, "Being cooped up in a hospital makes you really appreciate nature".

"You're not cooped up Mer." Derek tells her, "You're recovering, that requires you to be in bed and taking it easy."

"I know. It's just…"

"It's just what?"

"I don't want it to sound like I'm pushing myself; because I'm not but I wish I could speed up everything so I could get out of here." She tells him honestly, "I just want to get better."

"I know you do Mer," Derek says softly, "I want you to get better too."

"I just want to get back to our normal lives and be able to not know what the word relax means"

Derek doesn't say anything in return as he looks at her. Her colouring has returned and she's getting much better. She still gets tired quickly but that's normal and knows that once she starts her Physical Therapy things will start moving.

"I have an idea." Derek says to her

"What?"

"What if after your PT is done and you're fully recovered, we go on a trip." He tells her

"A trip?" Meredith asked confused, "What kind of trip, where?"

"A trip, a vacation, holiday. Somewhere where it's just you and me relaxing and not having to worry about the stress of work or our friends." He suggests

"Okay, that sounds good." She replies, "But where"

"Somewhere sunny, where you can where a bikini." Derek says smiling to her

"A bikini, really?" She asked, "With my scars. You want me to display my incisions."

"They're not scars" Derek says shaking his head, "They won't be when you're healed, they'll be mostly gone and who cares? It's just you and me."

"Your serious." Meredith says in disbelief, "You want to go on vacation."

"I am and I do."

"But…why?"

Derek thinks for a moment, "You've been through so much with the accident" He tells her, "And you deserve something for not giving up and for being so incredibly brave and strong throughout the entire time."

"I'm not brave Derek." She tells him, "I'm…just me."

"Yeah, you are." He replies, "You are brave and strong and don't let anything get in your way."

"Derek" Meredith says softly, tears forming in her eyes

"I'm so proud of you" Derek tells her leaning over the bench to gently kiss her

"I haven't even done anything yet"

"You've done so much you don't even realize it."

Meredith turns to rest her head on Derek's shoulder, holding his hand as they sit in silence for a few minutes.

"So this vacation." Meredith says, "Where are you thinking of us going?"

"That's my surprise for you." Derek tells her, "Don't worry about anything. Just focus on your recovery and let me plan everything. I promise you'll love it."

"You've got a deal Derek Shepherd." Meredith says as she kisses him, enjoying her time outside. Suddenly very excited to start her PT.


	16. Chapter 16

**I'm here! I haven't forgotten this story and I'm really sorry for the delay in updates. I had big writers block and ended up with this update, which is on the short side, and I'm not completely happy with it but I didn't want to leave you guys hanging for too long.**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>Meredith understood the lengths that patients went to in Physical Therapy; she knew that is was hard and painful.<p>

But what she didn't realize was just how painful it could be. Her physical therapist Daniel was great. He was a nice, funny and had a great outcome to life, which made the whole recovery process a lot smoother for her and Derek. He explained that while it wouldn't necessarily be easy he would do his best to help her get back to normal life with Derek.

"How are you feeling Meredith?" Daniel asked her as she rested on a chair. They were slowly working on her legs.

"Uh, I'm okay." Meredith replied. "Kind of tired and sore."

"That's to be expected." Daniel told her, "You'll find yourself tired sooner and your muscles will be sore afterwards but that's normal and good. It means you're getting stronger."

"How long do you think it'll take for me to get better and be able to walk by myself?" She asked him

"It depends on how your PT goes." Daniel tells her cautiously, "I thought you weren't going to push yourself." He asked

"I'm not." Meredith says, defending herself, "I'm just curious."

"Let's just work on your PT and see how things go."

"Can you just promise me one thing?" Meredith says softly

"Depends on what it is." Daniel tells her

"Will you…will you help me get close to how I was before."

"Meredith", Daniel says crouching down to her level, "I can promise you that you'll be just like you were before. You'll be back to normal and that's my word." He says

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I'm very good at my job." He said firmly, "You're a healthy, strong, vibrant women and I have no doubt in my mind that you'll bounce back to your normal life with Derek."

"I hope your right."

"I know I am, that's how good I am at my job." He says to her softly as they continue with their progress.

After a few hours Daniel wheeled Meredith back into her room where Derek was there waiting as he wasn't allowed in her PT sessions.

"How'd it go today?" He asked helping Meredith back into bed.

"Good." Meredith told him

"She did really good today slowly but surely she'll be back to normal." Daniel told him, not saying anything about Meredith worries. He knew that it was normal for patients to be concerned about their recovery time but he also knew that Meredith was a strong woman who wouldn't let anything get in the way of her recovery and that she was ready and eager to get back to her normal life with Derek.

"Good, that's great." Derek said relaxing besides Meredith on her bed, putting his arm around her and kissing the top of her head.

"What do you think Meredith?" Daniel asked her

"I feel good just tired." She told him honestly, "But today went well."

"Tired is normal and expected after PT and you might find your muscles sore as well, so I advise a hot bath and maybe a massage."

"I think that can be arranged." Derek said to him looking at Mer, "What do you think?"

"I think massage and hot bath would be amazing and maybe a nap." She told him

"I'll leave you two alone and I'll see you tomorrow Meredith." Daniel told her as he left the room.

"Which one do you want first?" Derek asked Meredith only to look and see that she'd fallen asleep. He gently removed his arm and put a blanket over top, kissing her head before he picked up his book taking a quick look at a peaceful sleeping Meredith. He hoped that she had a speedy but safe recovery and he knew that he needed to start planning for their vacation, as they both deserved it.


	17. Chapter 17

**Once again, sorry for the delay! It was tricky getting this part just right but I hope you guys will enjoy it!**

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><p>A week had passed since Meredith's first PT sessions and everything was going smoothly. It was difficult and somewhat painful to get moving again and Meredith felt like her muscles hated her some days but it was worth it. To be able to walk again without assistance or a wheelchair was music to her ears.<p>

She was nothing but focused and determined to get back to her old self although she wasn't pushing it. She knew what her limits were and wouldn't go past them, not only for herself but also for Derek. She know how worried he was about her and that she might rush through things and wasn't about to make him even more concerned, though she felt like she was making great progress she knew that she still had some way to go.

A few days earlier she'd had a met with Dr. Bailey, Daniel and Derek on how her body was healing and what she had to focus on to get better. Dr. Bailey had explained that while most of her injuries were internal she should be focusing on getting the strength back in her legs.

They'd decided that they would do daily exercises to help reduce strain before and after workouts and it would also progress her PT without pushing it.

"How you doing Meredith?" Daniel asked her as she walked along a small sidewalk with handlebars.

"It hurts." She admitted, "But it feels really good to have my legs moving again." They had all agreed that no matter how painful or hard it was Meredith would say whether it hurt or not. It would help figure out what she had to do and what helped her.

"Hurting is good it means you're muscles are working hard." He told her

"Yeah, but it still hurts." She mumbled to herself before stopping. "I…I can't. I'm done."

"How about you walk just to the end."

"You said no pushing."

"That's not pushing, that's finishing something." He told her

"Feels like pushing to me." She softly said out loud as she finished and goes to sit on a chair close by.

"There's a difference between pushing yourself too hard and pushing yourself to finish something." He said, "I don't want you to hurt or injury yourself trying to hard by going past your limits but I don't want you to be afraid of finishing something and knowing that what you've done will help you get better."

"What if I do something to get better but it's past my limit and I don't realize it?" She asked him

"You'll realize it Meredith," He said to her, "Your body will tell you when it's had enough and can't physically do anymore as opposed to doing something to make you stronger."

"I just feel like when it comes to that point I'll think it's making me stronger but really it's just doing something I shouldn't have done and will delay my recovery." She confessed nervous and worried.

"I know you're scared that you'll push your limits but you're smarter than you think about this." He told her, "You know what you don't want to do and once you feel it you're body will send you a signal which you'll know means stop. "

"You promise?" She asked him. While he knew that she knew where her limits were, her knowing and realizing it was a totally different.

"I promise." He told her, "Do you want to continue or end for the day?"

"I think I'm done. I just…I think I'm done."

"Okay, no problem. I'll go page Derek." He said as he left to go to his office.

"Thanks." She replied absently hoping that Daniel was right. She knew she didn't want to push her limits but it was realizing where those limits were and not going past them that was the issue.

"Hey, you okay?" She heard Derek ask her as he walked into the PT room.

"Hey" She replied back, "I think so, I just…"

"Had a long day?" He asked her.

"Yeah."

"How about we head back to your room and relax, maybe watch a movie and order some food?" Derek suggested to her trying to lighten her mood. He knew that she sometimes got depressed and tired after PT and how much stress she was under, whether she wanted to admit it to him or not.

"Sounds perfect." She told him as he helped her into her wheelchair and they headed back to her room.

"Anything specific you want?" Derek asked her once they were back in her room. He helped her back into bed before relaxing beside her.

"Uh, dinner wise pizza movie wise I don't care." Meredith said.

"You mean you'll actually let me choose the movie for once." Derek replied. Anytime they rented or went out to a movie which in itself was rare, Meredith always chose the movie.

"I guess…" Meredith said unsurely, "But don't get any ideas. No action, no drama, no…"

"That basically rules out everything expect for comedies." Derek said interrupting her.

"I was going to say no click flicks but a comedy sounds nice. I would be nice to laugh." Meredith said. She felt like she needed to get her mind off of everything and to just laugh.

"No chick flicks, no problem." Derek said as he got up from his spot and kissed her softly. "How about you take a nap while I go out and find us a movie and get a pizza." He suggested.

"I love that idea." Meredith said relaxing into the bed, "Anything with meat is fine by me." Telling him in reference to the pizza.

"How about a vegetable?"

"That's your department." Meredith said jokingly

"I'll be back in a bit." Derek said before kissing her and heading out. A movie, some pizza and spending the night relaxing just the two of them was just the thing to get Meredith's mind off of PT and help bring up her spirits after a long day.


	18. Chapter 18

**So sorry for the wait! I went on holidays and didn't want to start a new update as I knew I wouldn't work on it plus, it's very important to me to get these updates right.**

**Hope you guys enjoy!**

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><p>Things were looking up for Meredith. After a month she felt better and stronger then she did in a long time. There were days where her muscles ached but for the most part she felt great.<p>

PT was going great and she could now move around with the help of a walker instead of a wheelchair.

Even better than that, Dr. Bailey and Daniel had told her that she was allowed to go home, granted she continued her exercises daily. She still had to come to the hospital for her appointments but just knowing that she didn't have to stay in the hospital made the whole thing do much better. Daniel and Derek were both concerned at first about her climbing up and down stairs but she reassured them that she was more than willing to sleep in the living room.

She was making great progress in her recovery and she according to Derek she hadn't been happier. She was always smiling and laughing and didn't let bad days get her down. If PT wasn't going the way she'd hoped she just told herself that tomorrow would be better.

She was working hard, albeit without over doing it to get back to old self. Everyday she gave herself goals and worked hard to not only achieve them but wanted to push past her fears and just concentrate on the positive.

What was making her work hard and excited was the trip Derek was planning for the both of them. He wouldn't tell her exactly where they were going but hinted that it would be nothing but relaxing for the both of them. Her only concern was Derek getting the time off but he promised that he would get it and for her to not worry and she listened. She knew that he had everything under control.

"You're doing a great job Meredith." Daniel told her as she walked along a small sidewalk adorned with handles. "Just a few more steps…"

"Okay." Meredith said as she reached the end. "I think I need a break." Saying to him, slightly out of breath.

"Go ahead and take one. You did an awesome job today." Daniel said. "How are you feeling?" He asked

"Good, tired and sore but good."

"That's good, it means you're body is getting stronger."

"I know and I know it's a good thing it's just…"

"Hard and tiring." Daniel said finishing her sentence.

"Yeah."

"Well I can honestly say that out of all of the people I've helped through recovery you're one of the hardest working ones I've had in a long time." Daniel told her

"Really?" Meredith asks him

"Really." He says, "You know how many people give up as soon as it gets tough or hard. Or decide that it's not worth it. You've been through so much and yet you're so strong and aren't giving up no matter what. You have a great positive attitude about it all."

"I didn't always." Meredith tells him

"No, you didn't but that's like most people. When you start something it's hard and you want to get past that without having to deal with the struggles of it but instead of pushing yourself into something your body can't handle you've realized your limits and know not to push through them but at the same time your working hard to get better. That's what a successful recovery is and having a positive attitude without that you're leading yourself into no-where." Daniel tells her.

"It is safe to say I feel better?" She asked him

"Absolutely." He told her confidently, "With a little more work I'd be willing to say you can be walking again in a few weeks with out the help of the walker."

"Derek said he's going to take me on a trip once I've healed. Do you think I'll be walking on my own by then?"

"Depending on when you're going I'd say yes." Daniel told her, "Just keep doing what you're doing and you'll be better in no time."

"If you say so."

"I do say. Stop selling yourself short Meredith." He told her, "You're doing an incredible job and on the fast track to getting better."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." He said, "Why don't we finish early today, let you and Derek have some time together. Maybe go out for dinner and enjoy the night."

"I'd like that a lot." Meredith said as she grabbed her walker and headed towards the door. "Have a good evening Daniel." She told him

"You too Meredith."


	19. Chapter 19

**This update is a little different and a little on the short side but I hope you guys will enjoy it.**

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><p>Meredith was certain that when she got injured it would take her forever to get back to her regular self. Even though Derek and Dr. Bailey reassured her multiple times that she would be okay, she still was hesitant and nervous and once she started her PT she didn't know what to expect or how her physical therapist would be.<p>

However, as soon as she met Daniel and he explained how he would helping her, she and Derek knew that recovery wouldn't be that bad. At first it was difficult having to use her legs especially since it was never a thought she'd had to learn how to use them again but the more she did the more she realized that if she kept doing what she was doing it wouldn't be as bad as she thought.

Before she knew it she was back at home with Derek and she traded her walker in for a cane. She still had some muscle strain sometimes and had a bit more exercises to be done but she knew that she'd be back to normal by the time she and Derek went on their trip.

As for Derek, he was the most incredible supportive amazing husband throughout everything. Every step of the way he was cheering her on and making sure that when she had to stay at the hospital she would be comfy and when she was released he made sure that her living room was as comfortable as their bedroom; even sleeping with her on the bed he'd bought and put up a drape for privacy.

When Derek said that he was taking her on a trip after she was better, she didn't know what exactly he was planning. He kept everything a secret and told her that she'd love it and it was relaxing which was fine by her. She trusted him and he knew her better than anyone.

If would be a while before she could go back to work full time and she got that. While her legs felt better, standing on them for long hours still bothered her but Daniel reassured her that as long as she kept on doing her exercises she'd be fine.

Everyone at the hospital was understand and respectful of her decision to take leave. Though the Chief offered her an addition 3 months off for recovery and assured her that she wouldn't loose her spot in the program, Meredith confidently said that she only wanted and needed an additional 1-month off and said that if it does come down to it she was perfectly happy working in the clinic if she felt tired or needed a break.

Her friends were also being incredibly supportive throughout the whole recovery process. Cristina visited her often and shared her surgery stories and when Derek had to work Alex came over with food and hung out with her. Lexie made sure the house was clean and organized and most importantly her fellow 'roommates' knew and understood that they were to not disturb or bother or walk in unannounced to Meredith and Derek's 'room' at any times without asking first.

But one thing was for sure and that was Meredith was very excited about her and Derek's trip. It was very rare that they both got time off, let alone for longer than a few days and though the circumstances were unfortunate and not what either of them wanted or thought it would be for they were happy that they were about to spend a time together uninterrupted.

As for Meredith and Derek, things couldn't be better for them. They were more in love then ever and cherished each and every moment. Since Meredith's schedule was cut down, Derek made sure that he was working mainly in the morning and had the evening off so that they could spend time together, eat dinner and go to bed with each other every night. They didn't want work to over take their lives again especially their marriage. They made sure that the Chief had a neurosurgeon on call so that Derek wasn't the first person paged in case and he was only paged if the circumstance required him.

Things were going to be different for them and they made sure people knew and understood. And most importantly, this trip marked the start of it.


	20. Chapter 20

**Hello all! Sorry for the huge delay in getting this up but it was a lot harder to do than I thought it would be. That being said I hope you guys enjoy it!**

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><p>Looking out at the ocean, Meredith couldn't remember a time when she felt for relaxed and at ease.<p>

When Derek told her that they were going to the Bahamas for their trip Meredith was surprised and thrilled. She'd never been to the Bahamas before and to top it all of, Derek said that he'd rented a private villa in there at the One and Only Resort for 2 weeks.

Not only was she excited about getting away from everyone and everything but she was even more so about getting to be along with Derek. No interruptions just them.

A few weeks earlier she'd finished her PT and was happy when she was able to walk without the help of her Cain. She'd been working hard with Daniel to finish and he assured her that she was well on her way to making a complete and total recovery well before her trip. So when she went for her session, she was surprised to hear that it would be her final one. Daniel had made her promise that she would still take it relatively easy and continue with her exercises but other than that she felt amazing.

She still wasn't allowed to drink alcohol due to the fact that her got leg cramps which meant she was on a very low dosage of pain relievers but that was okay, because for the first time in a long time she didn't want to drink and didn't miss it. Derek wasn't drinking either even though he could, he said he didn't want to and didn't need to.

Instead, Derek had ordered a bottle of sparkling apple cider for their room and a plate of strawberries were delivered as well.

They arrived at their private villa later in the evening and settled in before taking in the beautiful space they had. A 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom house with a kitchen, living room hot tub and access to their own private beach.

Once they settled in they ordered room service and had a quiet, relaxing dinner outside, the only sounds they could hear were the birds chirping and the waves crashing.

"How are you feeling?" Derek asked her taking a bit of his salmon with fresh steamed vegetables and rice.

"Never better." Meredith replied, she had ordered the same thing with an extra side of French fries much to Derek's humour.

"It is relaxing here."

"It's more than relaxing Derek, it's…"

"Peaceful." Derek said finishing her sentence. They had gotten even closer over that past few months, to the point where Derek knew that she was thinking.

"Yeah." Meredith said, "There's no one to barge in on us, no patients; nothing."

"Just us." Derek said with a smile, "We've never been along like this before."

"No, we haven't. Which I understand with our jobs but we need to more often." Meredith told him seriously, "We need to get away more often and spend time together without interruptions."

"We do." Derek said agreeing with her. "I can't…I don't want to us to be that couple who barely sees each other because of our jobs and I won't have what happened to us happening again." He said referring to Meredith's accident.

"Me neither." She told him taking a sip of her cider, "These past few months were the scariest of...I've never been more scared and I don't…I wouldn't have been able to get through it all without you." She told him

"Meredith." Derek said as he got up from his chair and gathered Meredith in his arms, "You'll never have to find that out. I'm not going anywhere ever. I promise."

Meredith looked up at him and his into his eyes. She always thought that he had amazing, gorgeous blue eyes that said a lot about what he was thinking or feeling and right now, they shows nothing but love for her.

She lifted her head up and pressed her lips against his, at first gently and more firmly as she melted into him.

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><p>Hours later, their food cold and left outside, their clothes strewed all over the place, they laid in bed with nothing but a sheet covering them.<p>

"We haven't done that in a while" Derek said out of nowhere, slightly out of breath.

"Well now that I'm better we can do it a lot more." Meredith said curling up to his side. She wasn't normally a cuddly after sex but she didn't think twice about it now, she wanted to be as close as possible to Derek.

"Hmm, I'm up for that." Derek replied, wrapping his arm around her and bringing her close.

"I know you are." Meredith giggled back.

Derek laughed back at her, happy just listening to her laugh. She sounded so free and relaxed.

"How 'bout we do just that?" Derek asked her as he gently rolled her over and kissed her soundly.

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><p>Hours later, the wind gently blowing outside, Derek was sound asleep in bed the covers around his waist he flung his right arm over Meredith's side of the bed, which was empty. He woke up disoriented and looked around only to see the balcony doors open. He sat up, pulled on a pair of pajama pants and walked outside to see Meredith leaning against the railing wearing nothing but one of his button downs.<p>

He slowly walked up to her and wrapped his around her from behind.

"Why are you up?" He asked her softly

"Couldn't sleep." She said leaning back into his arms, his body warming hers.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, just thinking."

"About what?" Derek asked her

"Just…so much has happened to us lately and it made me realize that…that more than anything I want a family. I want to have a baby." She told him. It's been on her mind more and more lately and it's not something she can or wants to ignore.

"Meredith…I." Derek says. "I don't know what to say. Are you sure?" He asked her

"I am." She says confidently, turning to face him and wrapping her arms around his waste. "Do you?"

"More than anything." He tells her firmly.

"So were going to try for a baby." She tells him

"No, we're not." He tells her, "We're going to have a baby."

Meredith leans up and presses her lips to his first softly then the two of them melt away into each other, ready to start their new journey together.

_**The End.**_

**So it's over. Meredith and Derek are ready to move forward with their lives and to have a family. I hope you guys enjoyed this fic…it was definitely the most challenging one that I've done. That being said, not sure when or if I'll be doing another one (I probably said this before) but I thank you all for reading, commenting and enjoying!**


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